🍊Easy Orange Olive Oil Bundt Cake – A Bright & Tangy Summer Dessert
Looking for a stunning yet simple dessert to serve this summer? This orange olive oil bundt cake is a total showstopper — beautifully golden, incredibly moist, and bursting with citrus flavor. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and tangy, with the richness of olive oil adding a subtle, elegant depth.
This is the only cake my daughter requests every year for her May birthday, and once you try it, you’ll understand why! It’s light yet satisfying, making it the ideal summer bundt cake for celebrations, brunches, or backyard gatherings.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Orange Olive Oil Bundt Cake
.Bright, Fresh Flavors: Citrus, berries, and light glazes bring a refreshing twist that’s perfect for warm-weather gatherings.
Moist & Tender Texture: Made with ingredients like olive oil, sour cream, or fruit juice for that perfect soft crumb.
Easy to Make, Easy to Impress: Bundt cakes look beautiful straight from the pan — no fancy decorating skills needed!
Perfect for Entertaining: Whether it’s a backyard BBQ, birthday, or brunch, this cake is a crowd-pleaser.
Make-Ahead Friendly: Stays moist for days and even tastes better the next day, making it ideal for prepping ahead.
🍲 Ingredients
Sourdough Discard – Unfed, inactive sourdough starter that’s been on the counter, or stored in the fridge.
Oranges – Opt for fresh oranges, preferably organic, to get the best zest and juice.
Olive Oil – Like with any ingredient in any recipe, good quality ones are better. So if you have a nice olive oil, I believe it would make an impactful difference.
Sour cream – This helps the cake remain extra moist, but this can also be substituted for Greek yogurt.
Flour – I’ve found that even if you’re not an everyday baker, most people still have a bag of all-purpose flour in their pantry. We like Kirkland’s organic, unbleached all-purpose flour. While organic isn’t totally necessary, I recommend always using unbleached flour.
Sugar – Granulated sugar for the sweetness.
Baking powder + soda – This is what will make the bread rise and give it its fluffy texture.
👩🍳 How to Make Orange Olive Oil Bundt Cake
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and orange zest. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, olive oil, and orange juice until combined. Add sour cream and sourdough discard until there are no streaks.
- Add your dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Generously grease (add a dusting of flour to really make sure the cake doesn’t stick while baking) your bundt pan and transfer all your batter into pan.
- Bake at 375 for 40 minutes until cooked through and passes the toothpick test.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before flipping over and removing onto a wire rack.
- While your cake is cooling, make your orange glaze.
- Orange Cream Cheese Glaze
- In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing well after each addition.
- Mix in the orange juice a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency—more orange juice for a thinner glaze, less for a thicker one.
- Stir in the orange zest.
- Drizzle the glaze directly over your slightly warm bundt cake and enjoy! 🙂
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Choose high-quality extra virgin olive oil for a rich, fruity flavor.
- Opt for fresh oranges, preferably organic, to get the best zest and juice.
- Zest the oranges before juicing to avoid bitterness.
- All-purpose flour works and is what most people have on hand, but for a lighter crumb, you can substitute part of it with almond flour.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients gently to avoid overworking the batter, which can make the cake dense.
🗒 Variations
Because of all the backyard BBQ’s, birthday parties and get togethers, I love a good summer cake! Here are few more recipes I think that you’ll love:
- Sourdough Discard Orange + Olive Oil Cake – Acts Of Sourdough
- Strawberry Shortcake Sourdough Cake – Acts Of Sourdough
- Sourdough Discard Blackberry Cake – Acts Of Sourdough
- Peach Poke Cake – Acts Of Sourdough
- Blueberry + Banana Bundt Cake – Acts Of Sourdough
🗒 Substitutions
- AP Flour- for a lighter crumb, you can substitute part of it with almond flour.
- Tangerine or Clementine – Slightly sweeter, similar texture and juice.
- Sour Cream – Greek yogurt gives a slightly tangier flavor, which often complements citrus cakes well.
🗒 Best served with
This bright and tangy 🍊orange olive oil bundt cake pairs perfectly with a variety of summery sides and toppings to elevate your dessert table:
- Fresh berries – Strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries add a refreshing pop of color and flavor.
- Light citrus glaze – A drizzle of orange or lemon glaze enhances the cake’s zesty notes.
- Whipped cream or mascarpone – Soft, creamy textures complement the moist crumb of the cake beautifully.
- A scoop of vanilla bean or lemon sorbet – For an elegant dessert pairing, especially on warm days.
- Hot tea or iced coffee – This cake makes a lovely companion to both afternoon tea and brunch-style coffee service.
👝 How to Store Leftovers
To keep your bundt cake fresh and moist, follow these simple storage tips:
At Room Temperature:
- Wrap leftover cake tightly in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container.
- Keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Avoid refrigerating, if possible, as it can dry out the cake.
In the Refrigerator (if needed):
- If your cake has a perishable glaze or filling (like cream cheese or whipped cream), store it in the fridge.
- Cover well to prevent it from absorbing fridge odors.
- Bring to room temperature before serving for best flavor and texture.
🤔 Common Questions
Yes, you can freeze bundt cake! Wrap slices or the entire cake tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, thaw at room temperature, still wrapped, to prevent condensation.
Yes, you can use either.
Orange Olive Oil Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp orange zest 1- 2 large oranges
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- ½ cup fresh orange juice 3 – 4 large oranges
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz softened cream cheese half of one standard block
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 – 3 tbs orange juice
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and orange zest. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, olive oil, and orange juice until combined. Add sour cream and sourdough discard until there are no streaks.
- Add your dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Generously grease (add a dusting of flour to really make sure the cake doesn't stick while baking) your bundt pan and transfer all your batter into pan.
- Bake at 375 for 40 minutes until cooked through and passes the toothpick test.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before flipping over and removing onto a wire rack.
- While your cake is cooling, make your orange glaze.
Orange Cream Cheese Glaze
- In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing well after each addition.
- Mix in the orange juice a tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency—more orange juice for a thinner glaze, less for a thicker one.
- Stir in the orange zest.
- Drizzle the glaze directly over your slightly warm bundt cake and enjoy! 🙂
Notes
- Choose high-quality extra virgin olive oil for a rich, fruity flavor.
- Opt for fresh oranges, preferably organic, to get the best zest and juice.
- Zest the oranges before juicing to avoid bitterness.
- All-purpose flour works and is what most people have on hand, but for a lighter crumb, you can substitute part of it with almond flour.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients gently to avoid overworking the batter, which can make the cake dense.
Nutrition
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